GGRAsia – Ent City Manila casinos aid pandemic fight: Pagcor

Ent City Manila casinos aid pandemic fight: Pagcor

Apr 16, 2020 Newsdesk Latest News, Philippines, Top of the deck

Manila’s four large-scale private-sector casino resorts – collectively referred to as making up Entertainment City in the Philippine capital – have all made contributions to that nation’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic linked with a novel coronavirus.

So said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the country’s casino regulator, in a Wednesday update.

The Philippine authorities announced last week the extension of its anti-coronavirus lockdown of the country’s main island Luzon until April 30. It will also extend the period during which Entertainment City casino operations are paused.

The regulator stated on Wednesday that City of Dreams Manila, operated by a unit of Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd; Okada Manila, run by a unit of Japan’s Universal Entertainment Corp; Resorts World Manila, under Travellers International Hotel Group Inc; and Solaire Resort and Casino, run by a unit of Bloomberry Resorts Corp, have – via respective charitable arms – worked with Pagcor to provide “quick aid for the country’s front-liners, healthcare workers, and local communities,” in tackling the pandemic.

Melco Resorts (Philippines) Foundation Corp is said to have procured 125,000 food packs worth PHP50 million (about US$987,000). The donation consisted of 625,000 kilogrammes of rice; 500,000 units of bottled water; 500,000 units of instant noodles; 500,000 cans of sardines and 250,000 cans of tuna.

The foundation is said to have donated an additional PHP100-million worth of food packs for distribution to “vulnerable and indigent families”.

The Okada Foundation Inc, linked to Okada Manila, directly donated PHP25 million each to two medical institutions: the Philippine Heart Center and the Lung Center of the Philippines. Pagcor said the hospitals would use the money to procure necessary machines, equipment, and medical supplies.

The Okada Foundation has also pledged to donate PHP100-million worth of relief goods for distribution to indigent families.

Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation Inc is said recently to have turned over an aggregate 16,000 sets of personal protective equipment and 40,000 N95-standard face masks, to be shared among the Philippine General Hospital, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, the Pasay City General Hospital, and Ospital ng Parañaque.

Protective equipment, food

Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation is also said to have donated a total of 40,000 face masks and 400 infrared thermometers to be shared among the local governments of Pasay and of Parañaque, and the National Capital Region Police Office.

A second batch – of an aggregate 144,000 pieces of personal protective equipment – will also soon be delivered by that foundation to facilities that handle Covid-19 patients, said Pagcor.

Apart from medical items, Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation also reportedly donated 15,000 grocery packs to underprivileged districts of Pasay. An additional 15,000 grocery packs will reportedly be delivered to other districts in the city and other neighbouring communities in the coming weeks.

“These donations are part of Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation’s PHP50-million pledge to the government’s efforts against the pandemic,” said Pagcor.

Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc is said to have donated a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine – to test people for Covid-19 infection – to the Lung Center of the Philippines. The foundation has also reportedly procured personal protective equipment, ventilators, rapid test kits, more PCR machines, medical equipment, and essential supplies for donation to hospitals.

Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc is also said to have “retrofitted” areas of the Ninoy Aquino Stadium and Rizal Memorial Stadium to serve as quarantine and treatment facilities for Covid-19 patients. The foundation also reportedly procured PHP100-million worth of essential goods for distribution to indigent Filipino families.